All Hail Gordon
by Marshal Davout
Summary: At the End of "The Sodor Engines' Union" Gordon took over the Railway. Read on as he controls, rules, and struggles with others, and as he modernizes the railway. T for Profanity
1. Gordon takes Command

"I win, Hatt" Gordon said to himself, "check mate. I am the boss now. Kneel before Zod."

When Hatt III died the next day, he passed on his 40% shares in the NWR, and options for 15% more, to the CEO. The old man died a day before having a chance to adjust his Will and give the shares to his son. Right after hauling the funeral train, Gordon exercised the options. He now had a majority share in the Railway.

Gordon no longer needed the Coalition he formed to take power, but honored some promises. The mid-sodor route was one. Blasting on the tunnel from Ulfstead commenced on his first office day, and the Arlesburgh-Hackenbeck link was swift to follow. Immediately, the need for new Engines was apparent.

Firstly, he got about the task of acquiring new passenger Engines. Caitlin and Connor would be able to fill for him, as well as Monty, and will need little training. Monty, in turn, would join Donald and Douglas on the mid-Sodor route. Donald and Douglas would be replaced by a new Engine, a Manor-class Engine hopefully. Gordon set off for Swindon, where a Manor-Class Engine could be found.

"Greetings," Gordon said, trying hard to fake a smile despite being in A) GWR soil and B) A shopping mall, "you must be Alfred."

"I am," said the depressed Engine, who was on static display.

"I'm the new CEO of the North Western Railway in Sodor, and I need an Engine."

"Well, I'm more of an Engine-shaped christmas tree."

"You're actually perfect for the job. I need a lightweight, heavy-duty Engine, and that's you. The Engines you'll be working with are both GWR Veterans anyway."

"If you want me, I'll come."

"Let me detail your duties first. You will be pulling passengers and freight on an oceanside line. Dignified work, not tourist nonsense."

"Like a proper Engine, I'll do it."

"I shall make arrangements, then. We'll restore you at Crovan's Gate, our works."

"I look forward to it. I miss being a real Engine. I haven't done proper work in half a century, and I haven't moved an inch for a decade."

"I'll have an Engine come for you tonight. Might just be me."

"Thank you. You're letting me live again."

Gordon returned to Sodor for another headache: Connor and Caitlin. He had made an agreement with the Earl, whereby Connor and Caitlin would be transferred to the NWR, and the NWR would operate the Ulfstead line on his behalf. There was an undisclosed sum transferred, but not substantial since the NWR had always been highly profitable. Regardless of finances, Caitlin and Connor needed training.

First, Gordon double-headed with Caitlin. "Now Caitlin," he said. "You must always be careful not to bump your passengers, but still go at 60mph or more. If I hear that you bumped a coach, you will be pulling a slow goods train."

Caitlin shuddered, "I will never bump my coaches."

"Now let me show you the route. Here is Haultraugh. An Electric Engine will bring your passengers from Douglas. Once given the all clear, you will go."

"At Tidmouth, 3 more coaches will be added to your train. One is a through Coach from Thomas, 2 of the others are running only as far as Crovan's Gate. Make sure Thomas' Coach is coupled first, always."

"Why?"

"The other is detached from your train at Crovan's"

"Here, you stop and exchange passengers with Edward. It is vital that you wait for him 5 minutes, but never more. You must not allow the Express to run late."

"Here, you wait for Toby, Arthur, and a narrow-gauge Engine. You will exchange passengers with them. Arthur will take one Coach, and Toby will take another. If either is late, leave his coach behind for him. From here, run straight to Barrow. Speeding is always good, but always ride smooth."

"Can I race?"

"Never. If you do, I will have your streamlining removed and make you shunt trucks."

He was bluffing, but Caitlin didn't know. With someone like Gordon, the worst should be assumed.

Soon, Gordon had his Engines running, and the future was easy, for now.

Eventually, Gordon realized that he needs to make the new schedules for after the new lines' opening. He was sure this would be fun and games, but it was not. He had to juggle, edit, and re-edit the various Engines' passenger schedules, while setting aside goods trains time. Ultimately, he found the manpower at his disposal adequate, but barely. He had bought a Swedish DMU named Jurgen to pull a local shuttle in greater Tidmouth, and Milosz, a large Tank Engine from the Czech Republic to pull the Kirk Ronan trains, in addition to Alfred, who has since been restored fully. He then got about to having some fun.

First, he got to make some tank Engines miserable.

"Rosie," he said, "why aren't Henry and Bear's coaches waiting for them?"

"I thought I was getting promoted to the Kirk Ronan Line."

"No, that's why I brought Milosz in. You're too small for that Branch line. I am transferring you to the Crovan's Gate yards tonight, which will allow you to pull trains for Arthur if you're good."

"Yes, boss," said the depressed Rosie. "Fuck Gordon" she thought.

Next was Thomas.

"You will be working the Peel Godred services. In peak hours, however, you will haul your train only as far as Elsbridge, and Toby will handle Peel."

"Sir, I can handle the whole trip."

"It's a simple matter of Economics"

"Yes, boss." He wished he could shove Gordon's arrogant ass into a ditch.

Then came Percy

"Now, little Percy, I know the mail train is getting heavier and heavier, so I have relief. The mail train on the mainline and most Branches will run with mainline passenger trains, as is done by the Americans. You will retain the job on the route of Thomas' branch and from Peel to Harwick."

"Will I have other mainline jobs?"

"No, little Percy. You are too small to run on the mainline properly. You can, if you wish, work as the Back Engine on my hill at peak hours. Edward and BoCo could use help."

"I'll do that, boss." Percy did like Edward a lot, and always loved to help his friend, even if it was raising Gordon's percentage-of-profit salary.

Now was the moment Gordon has been waiting for almost 60 years. He was to reassign Diesel.

"Diesel," the big Engine spoke.

"What do you want, stinky steamie?" asked the angry Diesel

"That's Mr. Controller to you. You're going to be working at the Magnesium mine."

"I should be pulling the Express."

"You're heading for the Magnesium mine. It's north of Peel Godred. I hope I shall not have to ship you by flatbed."

"I will head there at once."

"Know this, Diesel," Gordon said, using Diesel as an epithet rather than a name, "I will send you to the mainland. I know several people who will love to have you on static display."

Next was Diesel 10. Gordon only dared approach him with backup in the form of a shotgun mounted on him, even though he was currently in a marsh outside the dump.

"Diesel 10," Gordon said, hiding his fear behind a facade of rudeness.

"Have you come to die, steamie? Shall I pull your express?"

"I'm the new controller."

"So I'm being scrapped?"

"No, you're going to be made useful to his railway again."

"So I'm being scrapped?"

"No, you're getting a job. I will be having you work. I intend to remove your claw, repair you, and have you pull trains. We will start with metal to the smelters, but we will try to have you run proper trains if you do well. If you do not, I will put you in a position of great disgrace."

"So I'll be scrapped?"

"No, but hopefully you'll never find out what will happen."

Another pleasant job for Gordon was filming and recording various videos and announcements to be shown on trains. The welcome Video was his favorite. It went, and still goes, something like this:

*Brassy music*

*Zooms in on World map at Sodor*

*shows a master signal board as music diminishes*

*Pans to Gordon, with a train on the Peel Godred line, Culdee Fell white in the background with early Spring snow*

"Welcome to the North Western Railway. My name is Gordon Gresley (he had taken on his designer's name as a surname), and I'm your Director. The railway serves destinations throughout Sodor, and beyond."

*Pans to shots of Engines running from various angles*

"We carry Coal, food, milk, automobiles, fuel, slate, and most importantly passengers like you."

*Pans to Tidmouth Sheds*

"Our railway is one of the only places where Steam Engines still pull trains for everyday service. Our Engines, steamies or otherwise, have names and personalities, so stop and say hello."

*shot of the station or train in question*

Station: "You are currently at _ Station. Trains from here depart to (other stations). At (names of key reachable stations) you can take connecting trains to virtually any point in our Network. Your next up train is (train) hauled by (engine) to (stations) at (hour) in (platform).

Your next down train is (train) hauled by (engine) to (stations) at (hour) in (platform)."

Train: You are on the (up/down) (train) calling at (stations). The train will reach the next stop, (station) at (hour). The train will reach its final destination, (station), at (hour). Your train is hauled by (engine).

*Pan to still of Engine*

"Hi, I'm (Engine) and I will pull your train today. I have been working on the railway since (year). I hope you enjoy the ride"

With that, Gordon could lean back, relax, and get a hefty salary.

 **Why Gordon? As you saw at the End of the Union Series, the Engine Controller took over with Seedy tactics. The other Steamies are too nice, except for James, and James is too boastful for dealing in mud. Gordon is left. He is also the most ruthless Engine, Diesel 10 aside**


	2. The Manhunt

Diesel 10 was not reacclimating well. On his first night in service, he showed up at Vicarstown sheds.

"C-can w-we h-help y-you?" Arthur asked, stuttering like his shedmate Molly.

"Well, you certainly can," the Warship said, "I need a load."

He then coupled up to Arthur and began to pull him away. Immediately, police were called. The line from Barrow to Crovan's was shut down, and Gordon had his strongest and Fastest Engines carry SWAT teams. He himself took on the Sodor Police first Riflemen company. Harold carried the only Howitzer on Sodor.

Diesel quickly realized his error. He shoved Arthur off the nearest set of buffers, and ran off into an abandoned track in the woods. He hoped to eventually flee to the mainland and enter preservation somewhere.

Gordon had the men combing over the area. First, he ruled the mainline to be safe, and some traffic was restored on the Crovan's Gate-Barrow stretch. Checkpoints were established at every junction, and on the Vicarstown Bridge he had Howitzers mounted on flatbeds. Belle and Milosz were in charge of the Howitzers. Every train had armored Policemen, some with rifles. As the combing of Arthur's line wound down, they turned to the woods. Here was a weird network of abandoned trackage, which had to be combed by hand. Gordon had Belle, Thomas, and Bear help search crews, which he monitored from a field HQ. As they declared various points clear, Molly's branchline (Belle's former line, before she moved with Gordon to Knapford) opened again. They began to penetrate deep into the woods. They had to blast down Hiro's hideout with grenades, which Hiro shed no tears over. Gordon, however, found it to be a good place to place his War Room.

The War Room was something to behold. One large LCD panel tracked normal operations. Another showed the locations of friendly and (known) hostile combatants. Yet another showed video from various units' mounted camera headgear. Another allowed Gordon to have Video calls with subordinates in the field or the Rails. In the War Room were Gordon, the Police Commissioner, a Royal Army Captain, and several technicians. At the moment, they were Keenly tracking Harold's feed, as he combed a very promising patch of land. Promptly, Harold sighted him. He was in a patch of trees. Harold immediately radioed

"Nest Egg on feed, track 6 dash 4."

Gordon dispatched Crews to various areas, and in some places had track removed to trap the Warship. Soon, he was surrounded in 6 out of 7 exit route.

"Division 7!" Gordon yelled into the Comm, "Why in God's name are you not in position?!"

"These guns are too heavy, sir" Percy answered.

"Ditch some guns! Just blockade the bloody track!"

"Yes, sir!" the little engine puffed.

It was too late, however, and Diesel 10 gained access to a different maze. He ran over a poorly-built bridge, and barely slid onto the well-built rails.

"He's in the open!" The Commissioner bellowed. "Code Red! All units prepare to Engage!"

Engines, cars, choppers, and equipment of all kinds were brought to the area as Diesel 10 was fleeing. Gordon himself carried a Howitzer, which was brought to bear soon enough.

Belle came first, turning onto the line at high speeds, the Gun she pushed was aimed, and the Riflemen drew their weapons. The Warship tried to use his Claw to knock out the cannon, but a round to it soon changed his mind. He began to flee at top speeds. As he fled, Thomas joined Belle, and soon Bear did too. Diesel could not run forever, because soon he reached a checkpoint. A grenade to the front cab, while not derailing him, caused him to to leak oil onto the trackside. Gordon soon appeared 2km to his rear, and Harold came about as well. The Warship was trapped.

"HALT!" Gordon's voice was broadcast from Harold. "DISENGAGE YOUR ENGINE AND SURRENDER IMMEDIATELY. IF YOU DO NOT COMPLY, WE WILL OPEN FIRE."

"Go fuck yourself!" Diesel 10 screamed, and began to charge at Gordon. "DIESELS ARE SUPREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEME!"

"FIRE AT WILL!" Gordon bellowed into the comm.

Harold took a shot, piercing straight through Diesel 10's fuel tank. He was now leaking at an unsustainable pace, but continued his charge.

"FIRE AT HIS ENGINE"

Harold took aim, and shot the Warship's Engine. He was routed into a siding, and derailed, agonized by pain. Soon, he fainted.

"Who said Police Militarization is a bad thing?" Gordon asked.

The weapons were returned to the army and storage depots. Work on the Railway resumed, but Gordon still had to decide what was to be done with Diesel 10.

Diesel 10 woke up. He was on his side, in the woods, out of fuel. His horn did not work, and neither did Pinchy. He wondered as to what his fate will be.

"I shall be left on my side forever, bullets in my body."

As the days turned to weeks, and the weeks turned to months, he became increasingly validated.


	3. Of Statesmen and Steamies

Gordon's new position entailed much political clout. When the MP for Tidmouth (constituency encompassing Southeast Sodor) resigned, Gordon saw in the special election his chance to get on the map at London. This constituency was heavily Labour, but Gordon was a dyed-in-the-wool Tory. The Labour party set forth a man named Winston Corvin, a member of an old Sudrian family. Corvin was a former leader in the Teachers' Union, and well-liked by the populace. He expected to land an endorsement from Gordon, mistaking his Union work for true Labour affiliation.

Gordon, however, declared railway impartiality in the Election, which was paramount in the eyes of the populace to condemning Corvin. His rival, Joseph Clarks, had paid handsomely to avoid Gordon's Labour endorsement, oblivious to the fact that it would never come anyway.

The headlines on Election day:

"Clarks wins MP. Corvin in shock."

"Was the Labour dominance Hatt's Child?"

"Sudrian Labour Schism?"

"Gordon the Political Engine?"

The Tidmouth Times had an Interview with Gordon

TT: "How are you?"

G: Fine, thank you. And you?

TT: Right well. Shall we begin?

G: Certainly

TT: Alright. How has assuming control of the Railway been?

G: Smooth. I put us back on track.

TT: And the manhunt?

G: A rascal. He won't be feeling the rails soon.

TT: We heard the police used heavy weapons

G: We didn't want him to take hostages

TT: And fired

G: He could've derailed little Thomas

TT: Fair enough. Why did you not endorse Winston Corvin?

G: I do not feel he is the most qualified person to sit in Parliament for Tidmouth

TT: So you're a Tory?

G: You might very well think that. I couldn't possibly comment.

TT: Is that because of customer perception?

G: You might very well think that. I couldn't possibly comment.

TT: Are you going to answer any further questions?

G: You might very well think that. I couldn't possibly comment.

TT: Did you watch _House of Cards_?

G: You might very well think that. I couldn't possibly comment.

Soon, Gordon became involved in backdoor deals with every politician on Sodor. The railway's prestige, money, infrastructure, and publicity were all a Politician would need to succeed, but no Politician could have it all so the railway doesn't lose customers to Politics. For now, at least.

"If I can get human rights extended to me…" Gordon mused.

In the meantime, being Sodor's Kingmaker would have to suffice.

 **I am setting a plot line up here. Read on to find out what it shall be.**


	4. Shunters

Thomas largely had his old duties maintained, and he was happy with them. He was not, however, happy with having to call Gordon "boss," or with having to hear Gordon's voice at every station.

"That Gordon is getting too big for his buffers," he said one night at Ffarquhar sheds.

"He's so bossy. He took away my mail train," Percy sneered

"He uses his voice at every station for announcements, and shows that garish video every time" Thomas continued

"He should be brought back down to Earth by someone" Percy said.

"I heard that," said Gordon. Unbeknownst to them, he had their sheds bugged.

"Little Thomas," he said, "I thought we were over this. I shall have you work at Tidmouth yards, shunting Coaches for important Engines."

"And you, Little Percy," Gordon went on, "will shunt at the Crovan's Gate Yards. Rosie and Stanley will help out here."

"Oh, dear" Thomas moaned, "we're screwed."

"I heard that too, Little Thomas."

Stanley was delighted. His work at Tidmouth yards was enjoyable for him, being less egotistical than Thomas, but he enjoyed pulling trains even more. When Gordon told him "Replace Thomas," Stanley almost squealed with delight, until he saw the downtrodden Thomas.

"Thomas " Stanley asked, "what's the matter?"

"I hate shunting. It's demeaning."

"That's what she said" Stanley said cheerfully

"Who's she?"

"James"

"Red is a perfectly masculine color" James whined, having just come for his train

Thomas and Stanley laughed.

Thomas' good humors disappeared fast as the day went on. He was within shouting distance of Gordon's office, and Gordon was not averse to shouting

"Hurry up! The trains cannot be delayed!"

"You were built to shunt, yet you cannot do it properly? Whatever are you useful for?"

James joined in

"Now if you were as splendid as I, you would be pulling mainline trains now!"

"Yes, ma'am"

"Your blue is more feminine than my red!"

"Shut up, both of you, or I shall have you painted Black!" Gordon yelled, and they complied.

Thomas continued to grow more and more despondent as the day went by. Percy, however, was happy. Arthur and Philip were very kind, and Milosz seemed nice enough.

"This isn't so bad, after all" he said

"Rosie is never so optimistic. I wish we could keep you." Arthur answered

"She's just bitter over not getting the Kirk Ronan Branch." Monty added, "some people just don't realize that we're all important in this railway, and so are all the jobs."

"Well, aren't you just a perfect little yes-man?" said Diesel, as he oiled by.

"You should count your blessings every day, Diesel" Arthur said, "4 successive controllers have made plans to get rid of you, and so did the Union."

That night, Thomas was very sad. He was at Tidmouth with the big Engines, including James.

"You did a horrid job of it, Thomas. The Lounge car is supposed to be next to the Observation car, not the Dining Car."

"Just be glad you didn't fetch your own coaches, ma'am."

"RED IS A MANLY COLOR!"

"IT'S NOT!"

"I WILL END YOU!"

Then, Gordon showed up.

"James," he said, "your red paint is clearly making you too pompous to be useful. I will have you repainted Blue for the next two weeks, and will allow you to return to Red if you behave."

"Thomas," he continued, "shunters are a vital part of every Railway. By fetching our coaches, shunters save about 10 minutes per trip. For Caitlin and Connor, that's an hour of their lives every day. You may not like this job, but it's needed. You do realize you wrought this upon yourself by your sedition."

"Sorry, boss. May I please have my Branch Line back?"

"If you behave well tomorrow, you may"

On the way back with the Midnight Express, Gordon checked in with Arthur. Percy had been on his best behavior, and was allowed back to the Branch Line, much to Rosie's dismay.

"Damn and blast!" Gordon yelled when he saw the latest message, "Is there any job that doormat can do?"

The doormat in question was Molly, and she refused to come out of the sheds after being told a ghost story by Arthur.

"Thomas!" Gordon bellowed, "Come over here at once!"

Thomas was sure he was in trouble, so he came along fast

"Molly is being obnoxious and refusing to leave her shed. Much as it pains me, you'll have to take her Goods train. Don't be late!"

"Thank you, boss."

"Off you go, little Thomas"

Salty had to pick up the workload for Thomas, and he did a fine job of it. With great skill, he had all trains ready, while keeping the docks running. Thomas, in turn, pulled the Goods Train well, and was suitably rewarded with his Branch line. All returned to its usual order, except for Thomas' cheekiness and James' ego.

 **I'm going to use Diesel as an antagonist here, so keep an eye on him. I considered Thomas for a bit, but decided against it. He's not ruthless enough to try what Diesel will**


	5. James goes Blue

James was furious. He was not as Grand as Gordon, as strong as Murdoch, or as wise as Edward. He was not the strongest, nor the fastest, nor the wisest, nor the most helpful Engine. He was, however, the most splendid Engine of the railway, or so he thought. Until today. Gordon had ordered him to be repainted Blue. How garish!

James grumbled all the way back from the Steamworks. "Disgusting!" he said. "He's jealous of me for being more splendid. Now he paints me in this repulsive color. Next thing you know, we're all going to be painted plain black, like lowly Goods Engines. James wanted to hide in his sheds, or a tunnel, to disguise his Blue paint scheme. This was, however, far from the plan. He was to pull the _Limited_ while Henry was going through a routine fitting, a publicity-filled duty if there ever was one. The _Limited_ was the train of choice for Train spotters, since the mainline allowed it to pass other trains, unlike the segregated Express tracks. James was ashamed as all the tourists photographed him, and his face turned as red as his old paint. He wanted to be off shunting Trucks, just to avoid being seen.

That night, James made a plan: he would rely on the curse of the Kipper to spend his time in the works. He "graciously" volunteered to take the fish train instead of Monty.

As he backed onto the train, an accident nearly happened. Duck was just puffing by with his early morning Train, and was accidentally switched to James' tracks. To James' dismay, he was travelling slowly and successfully came to a halt, before reversing out. James was upset, but began to move anyway.

Since the Express was not due to start for another 4 hours, James was routed onto the Express tracks. This made an accident highly improbable, unless Spencer was around again, which was not the case. James thought his plan has failed, but then a blessing struck-Gordon's Hill. James stalled on it, and needed a back Engine. Edward, however, had nearly a century of banking Experience under his belt, and got it right, avoiding a 1950 Duck moment.

As James went downhill, he hoped to be pushed on, but the Kipper vans were too well-behaved. There were no Tar wagons or any other trains for him to crash into. The points were all in perfect working order, and it was all perfect, other than the fact that James wanted to derail. James spent 2 weeks in this state, which he, and only he, considered to be one of disgrace. When he finished, Gordon allowed him to have his Red paint back.

"Welcome back, Ma'am" Thomas said when he saw James back in Red.

"Thank you, baby Blue" James answered

"Put a sock in it, both of you." Gordon yelled from the office, "or I shall have you both locked in the sheds"

He would make good on his promise, but not today.


	6. Tech Troubles

Since Controller work required a large computer monitor, which would obstruct anyone's views of the Tracks ahead, Gordon could not pull Expresses, or any other trains, properly. He needed some way to do both at once.

One day, Gordon realized something: he has the railway budget to use. He began to examine his options by communicating with Tech firms. A certain product, mounted on bifocal lenses, drew his eyes. Granted, he would have to relinquish his Monocle, but he would pull two Expresses a day again. He would also not have to carry the 2-car "War Room" installation when travelling the line. He jumped on it. He would mount a CPU in his Tender, and a cable running along his boiler with insulation. The cables could be mounted in an hour with ease, but the Tender would require months.

"Get to it, you" he concluded his conversation with Victor, after having the repairs of some Trucks put off, "my work is important."

"Yes, boss," said a reluctant Victor.

Soon, Gordon was working to pick out a proper operating system.

"Mobile operating systems aren't dignified, and Linux certainly is not. Windows is buggy, but Mac OS is beyond our budget. Perhaps we could have a custom dev. Oh, no, custom costs more than Mac."

"Windows 10 isn't as bad,"said his Office Aide

"Windows 10 it is, then"

By the time the Tender was ready, the Firmware still wasn't. Gordon was to pull Expresses with a flatbed on a monitor while he was a hazard, as he did not see the road ahead.

One morning, he was thundering down the line with great joy. He was trying to beat Connor's record on the Wellsworth-Kildane tracks. He didn't notice the points were off. Gordon went into a siding. He slammed on his brakes, but it was too late. He had already smacked into a Fish train.

Immediately, he had himself airlifted to the Works, knowing that his monthly emergencies fund was set to be renewed anyway (Engines, like men, can manipulate their companies' finances). Thus, he avoided the humiliation of dealing with other Engines.

While Gordon was being repaired, he could not run the railway or the Express. While Bear was the obvious choice for the Express, he did not have an obvious deputy Controller. Gordon soon got people begging.

"I'm on top of all your plans, boss" said his secretary.

"I'm the people's choice, and we've been friends for decades," said Henry

"I'm practically your wife, honey. You can trust me," said Belle

"I promise I'll be good," said Diesel.

Ultimately, Gordon picked Belle, but gave Henry Express duties. That made them both happy. His Secretary, of course, was not as valuable, for pull garbage, shunt fish, and perform every other job that no one wants. He is known as the "Controllers' Bitch" even though they don't get THAT kind of pleasure from him, nor does he play fetch.

Regardless of Belle's down-to-earth attitude and great Org skills, most people were happy to have Gordon back. Thomas was only ambivalent, and Diesel had a murderous look in his eyes, but everyone else was joyous.


	7. Mischief and Misery

Gordon's life was peachy, but Percy's wasn't. He was having an epic boilerache, and could not start. Gordon, resourceful as he was, had a plan: he would send Thomas to the Clay pits, and the twins to the Branch line.

"I can also teach those twerps some discipline, while I'm at it" he mused.

Bill and Ben were soon on the branchline, causing mischief.

"Let's take one coach at a time, with the trucks" said Bill

"Let's not take the coaches at all" said Ben.

"If you two don't control yourselves, I will send you to the waste dump" Gordon said, and the twins believed him,

They did not do anything stupid, until the night. When Gordon had left with his Express, they saw an opening. The two brats shunted Annie and Clarabel down a mine. They put trucks full of stone on the Express tracks. They blocked the track to Tidmouth sheds with brakevans.

When Gordon returned with the midnight Express, he nearly crashed.

"I personally apologize for the delay, but it appears our new shunter is something of a dim bulb," Gordon said over the PA.

Soon, he put his competent engines to work shunting and cleaning up. Thomas rescued Annie and Clarabel, who were utterly traumatized. Belle cleared the Sheds. Gordon himself shunted off the stone trucks. He pondered the discipline to be dealt

Soon, he had a flashback

Past-Gordon, thundering down a logging line with a Howitzer and Riflemen: "FIRE AT WILL!"

Past-Harold, carrying a machine gun, fires

Past-Diesel 10 falls off the line, grunts

Present Gordon: "That'll do fine. I'll have them carry Diesel 10 to the Smelters."

Belle: "You're scrapping him?!"

Gordon: "No, my dearest. I'm having him placed in a field by the Smelters."

Belle: "That makes sense. Mm hm. You're so sexy when you're scheming."

That next morning, Gordon summoned Neville.

"Neville," he said, "you shall help Toby and Thomas today."

"Yes sir," said Neville, and chuffed away joyfully.

"Bill! Ben!" Gordon Bellowed, "get your tiny little arses over here."

When they did, he spoke

"You shall pick up Rocky, then go to Vicarstown, then you will go on a track and find Diesel 10. You will fetch him to Crovan's Gate, and get Victor's instructions there."

"D-d-d-diesel t-t-t-ten?" asked Bill.

"Yes," said Gordon, grinning, "Belle will accompany you, and help pull Rocky.

"S-s-s-so w-w-w-we are p-p-p-p-pullling D-d-d-diesel t-t-t-ten?" asked Ben.

"You most certainly are."

Soon, the tank Engines met Belle as Gordon and the Express darted off.

"How big he?" asked Bill.

"He's as big as Hiro, as fast as Gordon, and as strong as Murdoch." said Belle.

"Does he really have a claw?" asked Ben

"Yes he does, and it's independent of him." said Belle

"Can he still run?" asked Bill

"No, but his claw can" said Belle.

If the Twins were human, they would wet their pants when they saw Diesel 10. He was unconscious, but his Claw was twitching. As Rocky picked him up, he gave off a mad scream. Rocky paid no notice, and Diesel 10 was soon tied to Bill and Ben's flatbed.

Belle yelled "Go!" and the twins did so. As they rolled down the line, Diesel 10 got queasy. Inevitably, as his fluids sloshed, they eventually burst. A combination of Diesel fuel, muck, and small metal parts came out of one of Diesel 10's bullet holes. It spewed straight onto Bill.

"This really is a Diseasel!" said Ben

"He's sick in his mind, I can tell you that much." said Belle

"Ewwwwwwwwwwwww" said Bill

As they rolled onto the mainline, more trouble occurred. Diesel's spew of fluids has upset his system, and numerous parts were loose and clanking about. As they did so, others were coming off too. Eventually, they began to weaken his body. At the points to the mainline, Diesel burst. A slew of Metal came out through his nose, and hit Ben.

"Such a Dirty Diseasel!" said Bill.

"Clearly not just in his mind." said Belle

"Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow" said Ben as the Diesel pieces hit his bunker.

Soon, they reached the works, and left the battered Diesel's flatbed. The twins ran away, leaving Belle to talk with Victor

"They sure are a handful, aren't they?" the Cuban asked

"You have no idea," said his Colleague

Diesel 10 was set up behind the Steamworks as a power generator, with many of his parts sent to an enthusiast group that seeked to rebuild a member of his class. Diesel 10 himself could never run again, as he was off the tracks and had no proper engine.

 **Bill and Ben were pretty fun to write. I also finally sealed Diesel 10.**


	8. Gordon takes the Kipper

One of the perks of Gordon's position was that he could take the best jobs for himself. His abundance of free time, however, saw him take on many inconvenient jobs when Engines broke down. He had taken Locals, freights, and Branch line trips, but none were as bad as the time he took the Flying Kipper.

Henry had derailed yet again. Since the Kipper at the time was too heavy for James, and Monty had early morning trains to haul, Gordon had to take it. With his usual bombast, he ordered the workers to hurry up, and insisted on using the new, untested self-braking vans.

He took the coastal tracks, to avoid causing excess noise at Knapford. He thundered down the line, causing damage to the trackbed but somehow not derailing.

At Knapford harbour, Gordon found out that the link to the mainline heading South was blocked. He had to head Tender-First into Knapford Station, then run ahead.

As Gordon was backing into Knapford, disaster nearly struck. The points were set poorly, so he backed into the yard and hit some Trucks full of ballast. Fortunately, Gordon was travelling slowly enough to Bump, but not derail, the train.

"Strike one" he muttered

Worse was to come, when he found that he had to push the Kipper to Wellsworth. Gordon had to go very slow, and took a whole hour and 30 to arrive.

At Wellsworth, Gordon did not see ahead well. He found himself almost pushing the Kipper into a turntable, before backing up and finally getting to the front of the train.

"Strike two" he Grumbled.

Gordon had Edward help him up to Maron, and began to head down the hill. He began to pick up speed, and was delighted. He didn't notice he was routed into a siding by frozen points. He slammed into the train that was waiting, but the trucks were too fragile to derail him. They were smashed, but Gordon successfully returned to the line, with nothing but a Cocoa stain to speak of.

At Kildane, Gordon shunted the Peel Godred-bound vans into a siding, and continued on. At Kellsthorpe, he had to back into Kirk Ronan since Milosz stalled. He had time, so it didn't matter much. He reversed with 5 vans, making good time. His Tender did not derail, and he was early. He decided to pull the 4am train on the back of the Kipper. He made good time, Crovan's gate with ease.

At Crovan's, he dropped the Coaches and went to the Ballahoo line. There, he was speeding. The track was weak and unstable, and the Kipper was rattling, but he reached Ballahoo. There, he had to go to Norramby for cars Arthur forgot. Due to a signal error, he found himself pulling the Norramby cars but pushing the rest. This, while not fatal, was dangerous. He managed to make it to Vicarstown by miracle. There, he chose to push the train, "for shits and giggles."

As he went on the Bridge, he found that it was lifting. He stopped, but not before losing 3 vans. Once it was lowered, Gordon made it to the mainline, and returned to the Yards without issue, just in time for the Express.


End file.
